DAY 6: BLED
14th July 2019
Travel day No.2
Budapest -> Ljubljana (train) Ljubljana -> Lake Bled (bus)
Our train journey from Budapest to Ljubljana, although direct, took a little over 8 hours. The train itself was clean, the seats comfortable, and the views out of the window as we entered Slovenia were spectacular. However, if we hadn’t prepared for a long journey, it would have been incredibly boring, with no opportunities to stretch our legs.
Tip #1: RESERVE your seats
This applies to both long and short train journeys. Although seat reservations are compulsory on certain trains (such as the French TGV and the Italian Trenitalia system), just because a reservation may not be obligatory on other trains, we would still advise you to reserve seats if you can. Although we had reserved our seats on the journey to Lake Bled, we saw many groups of other Interrailers and other passengers who hadn’t and were forced to move several times, with some having to stand or sit in the carriage corridor.
Tip #2: Always buy food in advance of the train journey
Particularly on such a long train, food and snacks are necessary, and as we didn’t change trains at all, the dining carriage may not have been able to satisfy the demands of everyone on that train. We’d prepared a box of stir-fry the night before and had about three bottles of water each, as well as snacks to nibble on.
Tip #3: Bring some entertainment – and more than one option!
Train journeys as long as these can be very tiring, but it would be silly just to say that you’ll nap on the train. Even those with the best intentions will find the heat, noise and general jolting of the carriage make it difficult to sleep for the entire journey – so make sure you take something else to entertain you. This may be books, music, or TV shows, but just remember to be considerate of the fellow passengers around you. Sometimes, bringing a card game is a good way to interact with the other passengers – as we found out when another group of Interrailers kept answering for us!
Tip #4: Always be aware of bus timings/the timing of your next connection
Arriving in Ljubljana at 16:50, we needed to get the bus (in Zone 7) from Ljubljana to Lake Bled, with the next bus at 17:00. If we hadn’t checked the bus timetable in advance and knew that it would be a tight transfer, we wouldn’t have left the train with enough time to spare. Although there were later buses, after a long day of travelling, the last thing that anybody wants is to have to spend even more time waiting before getting on the next journey.
First Impressions of Lake Bled
Lake Bled is such a special place that it is almost impossible to describe it adequately. We’d seen the picturesque view of the island rising from the lake in photos, but to see it in person really was something else. The lake itself was absolutely breath-taking: a glittering expanse of silvery-blue water, rippling into a light turquoise when it touched the shore. In the centre, the white church stands upon the island, with rowing boats and pletnas (larger passenger boats) carving through the water to reach it. To the confident ringing of the Wishing Bell from the centre of the island, the lake is surrounded by woodland, with the occasional swimming area appearing on the shore, and the main town at one end. As Blaz (our Airbnb host) drove us around the lake, we saw Bled Castle jutting out on its cliff, with the Slovenian mountains rising behind into the sky.
Lake Bled is a location of paradise and solace for all who visit it. Reminding me almost of a Center Parcs campsite, the entire area is enclosed, safe and feels completely detached from the rest of the world. Wandering around the lake at any time of night feels safe (and we can vouch for that!), with the added bonus of every single corner providing a new and incredible view of the lake.
Bled Accommodation
Our Airbnb host, Blaz, said that his area was known as the ‘Beverly Hills’ of Lake Bled, and the description suited it perfectly. Though houses in the original Beverly Hills could well be as large as the entire area of Bled itself, the roads were peaceful and far away from the main town, where all the large groups of tourists stay in the hotels.
Blaz’ apartment was easily the best we stayed in: accessed by a metal stairway overlooking a beautiful garden and a goldfish pond, the apartment was modern, cool and tastefully decorated, with a large bedroom, a very fancy shower and our very own terrace balcony that looked over the lake itself. Not only did Blaz leave us food, he was extremely helpful and informative about the area, with maps, brochures, leaflets and walking shortcuts all available for us to use. The fact he had offered to pick us up from the bus station in the main town marked him out as the best host we would have and really fuelled our desire to return to both the lake, and stay in his apartment again!
Tip #5: Supermarkets in Bled close at 9pm – even on a Sunday!
We arrived on a Sunday and assumed that all the shops would be shut (which would be very irritating considering we hadn’t bought food in Ljubljana) but thankfully, the supermarket nearest to us (Mercator – and there are several around the lake) was open to 9pm.
Tip #6: Hire bikes
The easiest way of getting around the island is via bike, which can be used on both the paths and the roads. Although walking around the lake takes less time than everyone thinks, there are many bike rental places around the lake. We rented bikes from Mamut (https://www.slovenija.eu.com/) for 24 hours, who were really helpful with our queries when we were planning our visit, and they offer many other excursions and trips that we would have loved to do!
